One Week Auto Insurance
Last Updated on April 18, 2023
Many people do not know you can get auto insurance for just one week. There are several situations in which you might need temporary car insurance coverage. Not all states allow for temporary coverage, and not all car insurance companies offer short-term coverage. Here’s what you need to know about car insurance for just one week.
Why One-Week Auto Insurance?
There are several instances in which you might need car insurance just for a short-term like one week. Suppose you will be vacationing or going on a business trip to another state. In that case, you may want to purchase a one-week or short-term car insurance policy in that state to cover any rental vehicle that you may be driving while you are there. While rental companies offer their own insurance coverage if you need it, getting a short-term insurance policy on your own will often be less expensive.
Another example of a time when it is good to have a one-week car insurance policy is when you do not typically drive but will be driving short term. You might be borrowing a car from a friend or family member or getting a rental. If you will not frequently be driving and you do not have your own car, there is no reason to have car insurance as a general rule. But if you are driving temporarily, you want to ensure coverage. Some people have car insurance policies that cover any licensed driver, but it is still a good idea to have your own coverage.
Another reason to get temporary car insurance is if you have not owned a vehicle in a long time but will be test-driving cars to choose one for purchase. You can get a one-week auto insurance policy that covers you to drive any vehicle so that you are protected until you settle on a car and get a long-term policy.
Parents may want to get temporary insurance policies for their children when they come home to visit. If you have a child away at college, you can save on your regular car insurance by removing the younger driver from your policy. Yet when they come home for a visit, they must be covered to drive the car. Rather than hike your regular rates back up, you can get a temporary one-week policy to cover the teen or young adult while they are home from school.
What Is Covered?
One-week auto insurance offers coverage just like any other car insurance policy. Even though it is temporary coverage, it must meet the minimum requirements for the state you will be driving in. This usually means a specific amount of liability coverage for both damages and bodily injury. Typically you can also get additional coverage, such as comprehensive that covers theft and natural disasters, and collision coverage, which covers damages to the vehicle you are driving in case of an accident.
How to Find One-Week Insurance
Not all companies offer one-week insurance. Many major car insurance companies, like GEICO, Progressive, State Farm, and Allstate, offer temporary insurance policies. Still, they do not advertise them because they make more money on long-term policies. If you have had a good experience with an insurer, you might contact them and see if they have a one-week insurance option.
You can also find specialty companies that specialize in offering short-term auto insurance. You may pay more through these companies, but the coverage will be the same through a long-term company. You can generally find one-week car insurance easily through an online search and by filling out quote forms. You may want to shop around to try to get the best rates.
Once you find and decide on a car insurance company to get your temporary insurance through, you will need to start the policy. Most companies that offer one-week car insurance require that you pay the premium for the week upfront.
Extending Coverage
There may be some times when you need car insurance for longer than one week, but you still don’t need a long-term policy. If your vacation runs long, your business trip is delayed or extended, or you need to drive longer than you originally intended, you may need to extend the policy.
Most of the time, you should be able to extend the temporary insurance without problems. You may need to pay the premium for the extended term up front. As long as you extend the policy before it expires, there should be no complications. How long you can extend the insurance depends on your state and the company that you got the policy through.
